


Silver Screens and Silver Linings

by fangirlamanda



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fun TV show parallels, Hollywood!AU, I'm Bad At Tagging, Will I actually finish this one?, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23704147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlamanda/pseuds/fangirlamanda
Summary: When newcomer Rey Kenobi lands a starring role in "Their Finest", an upcoming TV show about a WASP pilot during World War II, it seems as if her wildest dreams have somehow all come true. But she suddenly finds herself rocketed into the spotlight, and the company of her co-star, veteran actor Poe Dameron. After a chance encounter, the two quickly begin to grow closer. On the surface, he seems relatively uncomplicated, but there is always more to the story that lies beneath.
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 18
Kudos: 26





	1. Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> A special shoutout to the lovely MASD_1138 for allowing me to pester her with ideas for this fic, and for beta-reading for me!

_ The sun was beating down on June’s back through the open hangar doors as she grabbed a utility towel to wipe the sweat from her brow. The southern California sky was clear and blue, its expanse not blemished by even a single cloud. A perfect day for flying, that of course had been scheduled as a mandatory maintenance day months prior, which was one of the worst activities one could do on such a clear, breezeless, and oppressively hot day. Her mass of brown curls certainly weren’t helping her cool down, despite her many attempts to manage them. _

__ _ “So, where ya from?” Danny Estrada called to her from his similar position on his plane. Seeing his face shining similarly to her own, June figured that at least she wasn’t the only one out here suffering on a prime flying day.  _

__ _ “Atlanta,” she replied, reaching down into her toolbox for her socket wrench. _

__ _ “Ah, Georgia.” _ _   
_ __ _ “With all the peaches you could imagine,” June continued. _

__ _ “And civil rights violations,” he quipped. She looked over and saw him give her a shit-eating grin from his new spot in his cockpit.  _

__ _ “Well, there’s a reason I left,” she smiled back. “What about you, Cowboy? I take you for a Texan.” _

__ _ He shook his head, his unkempt oil-black curls flying about, “Think wilder.” _

__ _ “What, like Kansas or something?” she strained, tightening a bolt in the engine. _

__ _ “Florida.” _

__ _ She looked at him incredulously, “You said wild, not batshit crazy.” _

__ _ Danny snorted, likely shocked by her more… colorful vocabulary. _

__ _ “You really are something else, Sunshine, you know that?” _

__ _ “I know,” she replied, returning his shit-eating grin from earlier.  _

__ “CUT,” Han shouted. One of the production assistants snapped the marker for the scene before their director stepped away from the camera. “That’s a wrap for the day. Great work everybody!”

Rey gently tossed the prop wrench back into the toolbox and reached for the zipper of her jumpsuit. She’d never understand why pilots did plane maintenance in the hot sun, in a full body jumper made of such a dense material, but she was also a stickler about historical accuracy, so she’d resolved to grin and bare it. She unzipped the top half, sliding her arms out to reveal the white tank top underneath, sighing at the cool air of the fans that had just been turned back on. Rey looked out across the hangar from her spot atop the reconstructed World War II plane, gazing at the hustle and bustle of the set around her.  _ So this is what it’s like when your dreams come true _ , she thought as her heart swelled at the sight.

It wasn’t long before she was interrupted by a voice calling out to her, “You okay up there?”

She looked down to see Poe Dameron gazing up at her apprehensively, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned despite his concern.

“I’m alright!” she responded with a polite smile. 

“Want some help?” he offered with a knowing look. Rey was openly afraid of heights,  _ ironic for someone playing a pilot _ , and normally, a set hand would be there to help her down from her plane, but it seemed he’d forgotten. 

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

Poe walked right up next to the plane and stood in wait. Rey slowly scooted her way to the edge, allowing gravity to do its job thanks to the plane’s rounded body. Poe’s hands quickly found her narrow waist, wrapping tightly around it to slow her momentum.  _ Damn, he’s strong _ , she thought to herself, as her feet barely even touched the ground. Then she made the mistake of looking at his arms-- golden tan, incredibly well toned, and accented by the occasional protruding vein that Rey found embarrassingly hot-- which were in full view thanks to him similarly unzipping his jumpsuit.  _ Woah _ .

“Thanks,” she told him, forcing herself not to look flustered.

“Yeah, no problem. You looked kinda lost up there.” 

“Oh, I was fine, at least until I realized I was stranded,” Rey babbled, wondering if she actually sounded that stupid as they headed towards the their trailers. “I was just taking it all in and enjoying the moment.” 

“I understand, I did that a lot in my earlier days and still do now,” he chuckled, and Rey couldn’t help but think he looked even better when he was smiling for something other than a camera.

“Yeah, I just want to remember it.”

“Hey,” he said, nudging her lightly with his arm. “Don’t think about it like it’s your first and last time. This show’s supposed to be Golden Globe-worthy, so you'll have even more directors banging on your door in no time.”

“You really think so?” she asked sheepishly, more than slightly taken aback by the conviction with which he spoke. But he was an actor, after all. 

“Yeah, you’ve got star quality.”

_ Star quality, _ two words she’d heard more times than she could count within the past six months. She’d never have used those words to describe herself, but now that’s all anybody could seem to say about her. Rey didn’t really see it, but she figured it must mean something if everybody was saying it. 

“Thanks,” she smiled up at him.

“Yeah, no problem,” he said with a suave expression as they reached their parallel trailers. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rey!” 

“See you then!” she responded with a light wave as he disappeared into his.

Rey opened the latch handle to her trailer and stepped inside. She flicked on the light and was surprised at the lack of another person inside. Normally, her manager/best friend/roommate, Finn Storm, was already there reclining on the sofa after she wrapped for the day. She shrugged it off, figuring that he was off talking to someone important about something she probably didn’t understand. Rey walked into the bathroom at the other end of the trailer, which mostly just gave her the privacy she needed for costume changes. She’d stripped off the flight jumper and was halfway through the leggings she wore underneath when there was a knock at the trailer door.

“Come in!” she called out, trying to mask a yelp from nearly falling over.

She heard the door unlatch and the slight creak of the hinges as the person stepped inside.

“It’s me!” Finn declared as he shut the door behind him. 

“I figured!” she responded, yelling at the same unnecessary volume he had. “Where were you?” Rey inquired, opening the sliding bathroom door enough to peer at him as she tossed the leggings into a pile with her tank top, jumper, socks, and boots. 

“Rose was telling me about the party tonight that we’re invited to,” he told her, trying to maintain his suave composure.

“On a Tuesday?” she asked with a quirked brow.

“It’s not like it’s a rager, a bunch of the cast will be there, along with people from the company’s other shows. It’ll be good for you, get you some more exposure to people in the business.”

“Isn’t that what the three red carpet premieres in the past two months were for?” she asked, fastening the strings of her gray sweatpants so they’d actually stay up.

“If I remember correctly, you enjoyed those?” Finn replied, giving her his signature, “I’m right and you know it” look.

“I’ll go if you admit that it’s all because you wanna finally hook up with Rose afterwards.”

Finn appeared stunned for a moment before narrowing his eyes at her, “Fine,” he grumbled. 

Rey grinned victoriously, pushing the sliding door the rest of the way open. She grabbed her costume pile and placed it on the couch, where somebody would come by after she’d left to pick it up. Finn was already holding her small, black leather backpack that contained what little she took with her to and from the set. Rather than hand it to her, he just slung it over his shoulder, opting to carry it himself.

She waved goodbye to the various people they passed on their way out, still very much enjoying the feeling of people actually knowing her name. Because they’d been on the outdoor film lot all day, it was a much shorter walk to the car for once. Rey still felt a sense of pride every time she looked at their sleek, black SUV. It was the first big thing she’d ever bought that was truly hers. Until her big break, she’d barely been able to pay rent, much less afford a car, gas, and parking spot in Los Angeles. Granted, she still didn’t have a driver’s license, but that was because she’d had no use for one. Finn had one, so he did all of the driving, and they’d technically paid for it together, even though she was the one paying him. They’d been all in together since college, and not even the jaws of Hollywood had been able to separate them since.

“That was impressive today, by the way,” he said as he backed out of the parking space, breaking Rey out of her thoughts.

“What was?” she asked.  _ Had she missed something while she was zoned out? _

“I saw you talking to Poe, while you guys were heading towards the trailers,” Finn explained. “I’m impressed because you’re the first person besides Han and Leia that I’ve seen him talk to without looking like he was secretly wishing for death.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, a bit taken aback. Poe hadn’t seemed like the asshole type.

Finn could clearly tell what she was thinking because he very quickly tried to correct himself, “No, no, he’s a good guy. But when you’ve been in the biz as long as Poe Dameron, you get kinda tired of people sometimes,” he chuckled.

“What all do you know about him, anyways?” she asked, cocking her head at him.

“Well,” he began, furrowing his brow for a moment. “For starters, his mom is Shara Bey.” 

Rey’s stomach dropped. She was much more of a Hollywood Golden Age person, and she hardly kept up with anything after 1969, but she knew who Shara Bey was.  _ Everyone  _ in this town knew who she was. 

“ _ The _ Shara Bey?” she asked loudly. Shara had starred alongside Luke Skywalker in the iconic 1986 production of _ Romeo and Juliet _ , “The shining star that birthed a thousand careers”, as the critics called it. The same movie had also been Leia’s debut as a screenwriter and Han’s debut as a director, not to mention where their relationship had started. It ate up nearly every category at the Oscars that year. 

“Yeah,” Finn nodded. “She met Poe’s dad on the set of Romeo and Juliet. It was kinda funny actually, my dad told me that back then, everybody thought she was gonna start going out with Luke since they had such intense chemistry, and then she shows up to the Oscars with Kes Dameron on her arm. He was one of Han’s set hands, but he didn’t do any more projects after they got married. They bought some ranch up north and he kinda just became a farmer. He’d pop up for award shows and stuff, but that was about it.”

“Huh,” Rey said, her eyes zoned in on something random. “That sounds nice,” she mused.

“Yeah, it must’ve been. Probably why all of Poe’s issues started when she passed away back in ‘05,” he explained. Rey remembered when Shara had died;  _ 2005, same year as... _ “I think that and the stress of the whole teen actor thing was what caused him to go off the deep end.”

Rey was suddenly much more aware of her surroundings as she came out of her daze, “Off the deep end?”

“Yeah,” Finn grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “He’s got a few problems. Like I said, he’s a great guy, he just has  _ a lot _ of demons.”

Rey nodded as they pulled into the parking garage of their apartment building. She understood a thing or two about inner demons. Hers likely hadn’t manifested in the same way, but everyone had their own way of coping with things. Some more self destructive than others. 

She tried to shake her mind of Poe Dameron and his problems (and his gorgeously toned arms) as she and Finn headed towards the elevator, she had enough of her own to worry about. With a deep breath, Rey steeled her resolve,  _ I’m going to have fun tonight. _

* * *

__

“This is our stop, Peanut,” Finn said as the car pulled to a stop outside possibly the most discrete nightclub in Los Angeles, Castle Takodana. Rey probably wouldn’t have even realized it was a club if not for the valet service, and the fact that she’d been there before.

Castle Takodana had been a speakeasy during the Prohibition era, and had maintained it’s quaint exterior ever since. It was run by a stout older woman named Maz Kanata, and the building had been owned by her family since it’s construction. The club had been Han’s go-to watering hole since his early days back in the 80’s, so he’d held more than a few after-work “get-togethers” there before, with Maz never hesitating to clear out the lounge or even the entire club for the night at his request. 

Rey unbuckled her seat belt as Finn opened his door, handing the valet driver a wad of cash that summed up to $50. She went to grab the handle to open hers, but the door flew open on its own, courtesy of the other valet worker. Rey still hadn’t gotten used to people doing things like that for her. Finn was at her side when she stepped out onto the sidewalk, scanning the street for paparazzi in case he might have to whisk her inside quickly. Thankfully, there were none, a stark contrast to the last time they’d gone out, when they’d been swarmed and she’d nearly had a panic attack just trying to get out the door. Her best friend held out his bent arm to her, which she accepted, wrapping her hand around his bicep as he led them through the entrance.

Inside the club was buzzing, but not too loud or crowded. The dance floor was still active with intoxicated people moving their bodies aimlessly to the music. Nearly all of the tables had at least three or four people around them, sitting or standing while they conversed and drank. Rey was scanning the bar area looking for Maz when Rose appeared suddenly.

“Hey guys!” she exclaimed, and Rey could’ve sworn she was physically bubbling. Anybody who wasn’t acquainted with the show’s head prop artist would’ve thought Rose had too much to drink, but she knew better. “I’m so glad you made it!” 

“You know us,” Finn beamed back at her, and Rey wondered whether he actually thought he was concealing his emotions, or if he’d just given up on trying. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Rey, would you mind if I stole your date for a little while?” she asked.

She couldn’t help herself from grinning as well, glad that Rose was taking the initiative since Finn had yet to work up the courage to do so, “Well, he was never my date to begin with,” she said with a raise of her eyebrows as she looked up at her best friend. “So he’s all yours!” Rey declared, removing her hand from his arm and slightly nudging him towards Rose.

The sparkle in Rose’s eyes and the delight on Finn’s face were all the thanks she needed as the two headed off towards the dance floor. It wasn’t a bad thing, as Rey could now focus on finding Maz. The woman was only about 60, but she spoke like someone with a thousand years worth of wisdom, so Rey thoroughly enjoyed talking to her, and it helped that Maz loved hearing the stories about Han’s behind-the-scenes shenanigans. She quickly spotted her behind the bar, which was fairly clear of people. She strode over to the bar with a bit of forced confidence, something she did often thanks to her budding celebrity status, never being able to know who was watching and when.

Maz turned around just as she was sliding up onto one of the bar stools, “Rey!” she exclaimed, beaming at her.

“Hey, Maz,” she smiled back.

“Any new stories for me, dear?” the woman asked over her shoulder as she pulled down a scotch glass and began pouring different liquids into a mixer.

“Hm…” Rey trailed off for a moment, trying to think of a story that Maz might like to hear. “Well, last week Han couldn’t get his golf cart on the outdoor lot to start, so he hot wired it while everybody watched.”

She could hear the older woman’s hearty laugh over the music, even with her back turned. “Sounds about right.”

“Then Leia got mad at him when the repair bill came in, because while hot wiring was a temporary fix, it did  _ way  _ more damage than it was worth,” she continued.

Finally, Maz turned around, placing a Rusty Nail-- Rey’s favorite cocktail, made from the imported whiskey that reminded her of home in England-- in front of her.

“Oh, Maz, you didn’t have to,” Rey sighed, smiling as the woman’s eyes softened further.

“Consider it a reward for all those delightful stories you bring me.”

She and Maz continued to chat for the next twenty minutes, as Rey slowly sipped on her drink. Rather than get a refill, as so many people had done during their conversation, Rey thanked her and excused herself. She headed towards the dance floor to find Finn, wanting to make sure he hadn’t gotten too carried away yet. When she arrived, she couldn’t see him anywhere, but the floor had become slightly crowded by then. Rather than try to inger around and spot him, Rey joined in, dancing to the upbeat music blasting through the speakers. She finally allowed herself to loosen up, letting herself go as she moved to the rythm. She was hardly even aware of her own surroundings when a pair of hands fell quickly upon her waist. 

She’d been half a second away from using every ounce of power her pointy elbows possessed on whoever had decided to get far too friendly with her, before a voice came into her ear. 

“Don’t freak out, it’s just me,” a man with a thick Irish accent yelled over the loud music. Thankfully, she recognized him. It was her cast mate, Armitage Hux, or “Armie” as he preferred to be called, saying that his first name sounded like a Russian museum. She immediately relaxed, but now more confused than ever. 

“Don’t turn around, but I saw Ben Solo sizing you up like you were his next meal, and I wasn’t gonna do anything but then he started walking over here. I don’t know if he’s still looking but just act like you’re into me or something.”

With almost anyone else, Rey would’ve been incredibly apprehensive of the instructions, since it could easily just be an elaborate excuse for a guy to get handsy with her. But considering she’d helped him curate his Grindr profile between takes only a few days prior, she figured he probably wasn’t trying to pull something like that. So she did what he said, figuring that it was no different than acting as she leaned back into him a bit, trying to show a physical interest but in the least awkward places possible. They stayed that way for more than a few songs, Rey allowing his hands to guide her until eventually, she felt him turning to scan the club for Ben.

“Alright, I think the coast is clear,” Armie yelled into her ear before removing his hands from her waist. “You can turn around now if you want.”

Rey turned to face her surprise guardian angel, the tall, handsome man with ginger hair who had become one of her first friends on set despite playing the main antagonist.

“Thank you, for stepping in like that,” she shouted over the music. “Sorry if I ruined your chances with any guys that might’ve been checking you out.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” he responded. “No one-night-stand is worth the trouble that comes with Ben Solo.”

Rey knew who Ben was within her first week on set for many reasons, and none of them good. He was Han and Leia’s son and a producer on the show, as they tried to get him exposure for other projects since he’d just finished film school at UCLA. But they gave him limited control, which Rey figured was what caused him to frequently butt heads with other producers and even a few actors, giving him the reputation of a notoriously hot temper. Armie had been one of those actors, and just the week before Ben had started a heated argument with him over the portrayal of his character, the misogynistic, and conniving General Bronson. While Armie chose to portray him with nuance and underlying malice, which was far more realistic, Ben wanted him portrayed as outrageously bold and abrasive, with even more open cruelty towards Rey’s character, June Elliot. 

“I still don’t know where he’s at, so we might want to relocate,” her friend suggested.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

Armie turned and began making his way through the crowd back towards the bar. Rey pinched the back of his button-down, not wanting to get separated, but also not looking to latch onto him too tightly. As they emerged from the crowd of people, she spotted Finn across the room, swiveling his head back and and forth..

“I think Finn’s looking for me, so I’d better go,” she called to Armie. “Thanks for rescuing me!”

“Anytime, Miss Kenobi,” he responded with a nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rey gave a small wave goodbye as they turned and headed in opposite directions. She was about 30 yards from Finn when he noticed her, his face perking up. It was clear he had something he wanted to tell her, and she felt she had a pretty good idea as to what it was. They met halfway, Finn demonstrating how little time he was willing to waste. 

“Hey, where’s Rose?” she asked, suddenly aware of her absence. 

“About that,” Finn sighed, placing his hands on his hips and turning his head away. That was when Rey noticed the disheveled collar of his shirt, and the bright red smudge at the base of his jaw.

She smirked knowingly at him, “You did, didn’t you?”

“I did,” he replied, his antsy nature filling in what little blanks were left in her mind. She might have zero relationship experience, but she could infer enough to see what was going on here.

“And now you want to get out of here so you can go back to her place.” 

“I do,” he responded, looking at her pleadingly.

“Then go, Einstein!” she exclaimed, lightly punching him in the arm. “I know how much you like her, I’m not gonna hold you back!” 

“But--” Finn started, but she already knew what he was going to say.

“I’m just about to leave anyways, I just need to say goodbye to Maz. Take the car,” she told him, knowing that he hadn’t been drinking. “I’ll just Uber home.”

“You text me as soon as you get in and out of that car, and when you get into the apartment, okay?” he asked, always worrying over her safety, especially in a town like Los Angeles. 

“Will do, Mom,” she teased, nudging his arm. “Now go have fun.” 

Finn grinned as he started off towards the exit, only turning back around to remind her he’d be at the apartment at 9 am to pick her up. Rey pulled out her phone and ordered a car before heading the other way, towards the bar where Maz was still stationed. It was much more crowded than before, so she could only wave above the heads of other people, and hope the woman could see her. Thankfully she did.

“I’ll see you soon, Dear!” she called, before turning back around to continue making drinks. 

Rey started towards the exit, looking at her phone to see how close her Uber was. It was only a few minutes, so she figured she’d just wait outside. She stepped out into the breezy summer night, a refreshing feeling after being in a club of 200 people. Luckily, there weren’t too many people around, so she wasn’t as anxious to stand outside by herself. She was just about to let herself relax a bit, when someone slammed into her back, nearly taking her down with them. Once she gained her balance, she turned around to face the drunken genius who’d come close to giving her a heart attack.

Halfway slumped on the ground was none other than Poe Dameron.

__ “Jesus, are you alright?” she asked, pulling him up into a sitting position.

“Oh, hey,” he slurred, his eyes unable to focus on hers.  _ Oh, this is what Finn had meant by problems. _

Freshly out of college, she was no stranger to dealing with drunk people, but guys made almost entirely of muscle who couldn’t stand by themselves were very much foreign to her. Rey looked around, trying to figure out what to do, and saw the red sedan with an Uber logo on the mirror pull up. Her ride. She couldn’t just leave him.

Rey let out a grunt of frustration. “Come on, let’s get you out of here,” she commanded, pulling him to his feet by his arm before slinging it around her shoulder. She managed to get him over to the car with little difficulty, which was nice since it took a near herculean effort to open the door and get him inside. Finally, she managed to get him into the center seat, not wanting to try and push him over any further. She buckled his seat belt for him before sliding into the car and slamming the door behind her with a triumphant huff. 

Before the driver had even pulled away from the curb, Poe’s head had landed on her shoulder.

“Thanks, Sunshine,” he sighed. 

Rey was only a little surprised by his use of her character’s callsign. She wanted to question if he actually knew her real name, but figured it was probably a stupid thing to ask a drunk person. Instead, she just responded with a simple, “You’re welcome.” 

Only a few minutes later, he was back at it again, tilting his head to look at her as he struggled to hold his own eyelids open. “You’re… very p-pretty,” he stammered.

In any other situation, she might not have minded Poe Dameron being that close to her, telling her she was pretty. But the very distinct smell of alcohol on his breath vanquished any sliver of desire that might have existed there. As Rey looked at the dopey smile now spread across his face, she couldn’t help but chuckle, and be glad that he was just a flirty drunk, rather than a handsy one. 

Thankfully, their driver made no attempt at small talk, nor seemed to recognize either of them, which was surprising with Poe’s level of celebrity. He simply bid them goodbye when they stepped out in the parking garage of her apartment complex. Well, rather, when Rey stepped out and pulled her co-star with her. He somehow hadn’t fallen asleep on the ride there, so at least he wasn’t dead weight as they made their way to the elevator. 

Rey jammed the ‘11’ button with her pointer finger, swatting Poe’s hand away only moments later when he tried to press multiple with a stupid, dazed grin on his face.  _ Never again, _ she swore to herself as the elevator made its way to her floor. If the lift had been playing the stupid music it usually did, the two of them might’ve looked like they were straight out of a sitcom. She was certain they did as they disembarked onto her floor, Poe tripping over every invisible obstacle in their path during the 10 yard walk to her door. He nearly fell over again, leaning against the door as she’d unlocked it. Luckily, Rey’s reflexes were sharp enough to grab him before he got too far.

She held the groaning man upright with an arm around his torso as she flicked the light on, considering where to put him. The living room would’ve been a bit easier, but the old couch she and Finn had yet to replace wasn’t the least bit comfortable for sleeping, and she didn’t want to sleep in one of the other chairs to keep an eye on him. Instead, she begrudgingly made the decision to put him in her bed, and she’d take the comfy futon from her college dorm that they’d stored in her room.

Poe groaned incoherently as she deposited him onto the bed. Rey removed his shoes and took his phone out of his pocket, placing them on the nightstand beside him. She managed to get the covers out from underneath him before pulling them up to his chin. She reached the en-suite bathroom in her room and closed the door behind her. She texted Finn that she’d made it home safely before leaning into it with a sigh of exasperation. Before today, she’d spoken to Poe Dameron off-screen for all of an hour total, and now, he was drunk and passed out in her bed. 

She figured she understood now what Finn had meant about problems. Part of her was glad it wasn’t drugs or anything, but the other part of her was equally as saddened by it. In a world where most deals and get-togethers were done over drinks, she couldn’t imagine how hard it was to stay away from. It explained why she hadn’t really seen him at any of the other parties, but it also meant something must’ve driven him there. Whatever it was, she resolved to inquire about it in the morning.

Rey washed her face and changed into a tank top and some loose pajama shorts before heading back into her room. Poe seemed to be soundly asleep, so she allowed herself to relax a bit more. She grabbed a fluffy blanket from the foot of her bed and curled up on the cushy futon, the faint sounds of Poe’s breathing in her ears as she drifted off to sleep.  



	2. Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe wakes up in Rey's bedroom. Two people shrouded in mystery begin to see more and more of one another. We get further glimpses into Poe's mind, and the problems within, while Rey's past is not entirely as it seems either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings:  
> \- implied and explicit references to alcohol abuse/alcoholism  
> \- Poe has very negative, self-deprecating thoughts multiple times  
> \- mentions and feelings of grief

Warmth, a foreign smell, and the sounds of the city were the first things Poe registered as he began to wake up. Well, that and a nasty headache. Only one of those were familiar to him. He groaned and opened his eyes, blinking a few times before he realized that the walls around him were not his own. The comforter covering his tired and sore body was puffy and a deep green,  _ definitely  _ not his. He turned to his left to see who he’d slept with the night before, but there was no one, the other half of the bed perfectly made. Not only that, but he was still fully clothed. Now he was even more confused. He threw his legs over the side and sat up, his vision going spotty for a moment. It was then that the bedroom door opened, and  _ Rey Kenobi _ of all people walked in.

“I was beginning to wonder when you’d wake up,” she declared, walking over to him with a glass of water in one hand and something else in the other. “Take this,” she commanded, depositing two Advil in his palm and holding out the water.

He did as she said, finishing the glass off to keep her from fussing. Poe handed it back and returned the small smile she gave him before clearing his throat. “Rey, uh, how did I get here?” he stammered.

“You crashed into me outside of Castle Takodana last night, and you were so drunk you couldn’t stand on your own, so I brought you back here,” she explained.

Poe immediately sighed and buried his head in his hands.  _ Fuck. You just couldn’t help yourself, could you, Dameron? _

“No one saw us, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No! No,” he assured her, probably a bit too eagerly. He didn’t want her to think he was embarrassed about being seen with her. “It’s not that. You just didn’t have to do that for me,” he sighed, averting his eyes. 

“What else should I have done?” Rey asked, placing her hands on her hips. “Drop you off in the next alleyway?”

Poe lightly chuckled despite himself, finding he liked how British her accent became when she got this way. “No, I meant that you shouldn’t have  _ had  _ to do that for me.”

“Hey,” she said, calling his eyes to meet hers. “It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it, alright?”

Poe nodded, but it didn’t mean he’d actually comply. He was supposed to be better than this.

“I made breakfast,” she told him, jerking her head towards the door. “Come get something on your stomach.”

Poe stood to follow her, but a framed picture on the dresser behind her caught his eye. It was a professional shot of a man in his forties, and he was wearing painfully obvious Shakespearean clothing. Upon a closer look, he quickly realized who it was.

“Hey, I know him,” he declared, pointing at the picture. “That’s--”

“My grandfather,” Rey blurted.

Poe was taken aback for a moment. Obi Wan “Ben” Kenobi had played Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, the same one his mother had been in. “You’re Obi Wan’s granddaughter?”

“How many Kenobis do you think there are in this town, Dameron?” she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips again.

“Guess I never put two and two together,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a little bad for not knowing that, but truth be told he didn’t know much about her at all. He looked around her bedroom for a few seconds, trying to scan for anything he could learn about her or her past work, but came up with nothing, except that she probably liked the color green.

“Y’know, Sunshine,” he said as he followed her down the hall, realizing what he’d said but being too embarrassed to even correct himself. “For an actor, you really don’t keep much proof of it around.”

Poe didn’t have copious amounts of memorabilia in his house, but he did have a few posters and pictures with friends from sets. Rey had nothing.

“That’s because I’m not an actor,” she told him over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen. “At least, I wasn’t supposed to be.”

Poe tilted his head at her, now thoroughly confused.

“I’ve never acted professionally before,” she said, shaking her head. “I have a degree in biomedical engineering.”

“This is your first  _ ever  _ acting gig?”

Rey nodded slowly, “Han and Leia came to see me in this stupid community theatre thing that I was only doing because my roommate at the time had asked me to. I still don’t know how they found out about it, because my grandpa swears he didn’t tell them, but they loved me. One screen test later I was signing my first contract,” she shrugged. “It was just because it was super last-minute and they didn’t have anyone else.”

“Woah, woah, woah, back it up there, Kenobi,” he said, not about to let the girl who’d been nothing short of wonderful to him beat herself up. “Do you know  _ why  _ it took Han and Leia so long to find somebody?”

She shook her head no.

“Because they accept nothing short of perfection,” he explained. “They didn’t cast you because they had no other option, they casted you because you were  _ the only _ good option. They could’ve had anybody in this town, but they chose you. That means something.”

Poe hoped he hadn’t come off too strong, but he wasn’t the kind of person to sit by while somebody doubted themselves. 

“Guess I hadn’t thought about it that way,” she said dismissively, immediately turning around to grab something from the counter behind her.  _ Yeah, probably too strong. _

Rey handed him a plate of eggs and bacon before passing by him with her own. She walked over to a small table and set it down, motioning for him to join her. Poe obliged, pulling out one of the wooden chairs and having a seat.

“How do you like your coffee?” she asked, heading back into the kitchen.

“Just black is fine,” he replied.

“Yeah, me too,” she smiled, picking up two mugs. As she neared, Poe began to take an interest in them. Particularly, the red mug with the word “TROJANS” and the corresponding mascot in yellow lettering.

“USC, huh?” he commented, as she handed it to him. “Good school.”

“Yeah, it was between there and Stanford, but I didn’t want to be that far away from my grandpa,” she explained, followed by a momentary silence. “But enough about me. What about you, Dameron?”

Poe paused for a moment, unsure what about him she wanted to hear. “Uh… my favorite color is orange, I love flying, and I never went to college,” he said, only half-kidding.

“More than that,” she said, rolling her eyes despite the smirk on her face as he took a bite of his eggs. “How about, I never see you at Castle Takodana after work, so what brought you there last night?”

Poe swallowed hard, and it wasn’t because of the food. The question was innocent enough, and she thankfully seemed to not know what she was really asking him.

“Ah, y’know, Rose was super adamant about it,” he lied.  _ I got into an argument with my dad over the phone because I was being a dick.  _ “I just couldn’t say no to her,” he continued.  _ My emotions make me lose control and I hate myself for it. _ “I guess I just lost count last night.”  _ I’m an alcoholic. _

If Rey knew he was lying, she did a damn good job at hiding it. “Makes sense,” she replied without missing a beat, finishing off her bacon. “What about university? Why didn’t you go?”

“With an ass like this, who needs college?” he deadpanned as he took a sip of his coffee. Anything to distract from the previous topic.

It must’ve worked, because Rey nearly spat her eggs everywhere, her hand coming up to cover her mouth afterwards, with Poe chuckling at her response.

“Pardon my manners,” she said, her face turning red as she stifled a chuckle.

“Don’t worry about it,” Poe told her. “The actual answer is I didn’t need it. I was already making more money than I knew what to do with by the time I graduated. The whole child star thing,” he shrugged.

“That must’ve been nice,” she said, a wistful glimmer visible in her wide eyes. “Not having to worry about that kind of stuff.”

“It was, don’t get me wrong. I had it a lot better than most people, but it came with its own complications,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“True,” she nodded, placing her fork down and looking at her watch, a frown playing across her lips. “Shit, it’s already 8:15.”

“What’s the rush?” he asked.

“Finn’s gonna be here at 9 to change clothes and pick me up.”

“Ah, I should probably head out then,” Poe sighed, pushing back in his chair and standing up.

“Nonsense,” Rey quickly replied, standing up as well to stop him. “There’s no way you’re gonna get home, get showered, and be on set by 9:45. I already showered, so you can just use mine. I’ll loan you a shirt and some of Finn’s sweatpants.”

“You don’t have to do that, I can just put my clothes back on and change into my costume,” he explained.

Rey raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re gonna rehearse the swing dance in that?”

Poe’s responding groan was entirely involuntary. He’d forgotten they were doing on and off-camera rehearsals for the swing routine at the USO dance their characters were attending. They’d worked with a choreographer for two days the week before to learn it, but they only knew it to the eight counts thanks to Han being indecisive, so they’d had to wait to get the licensing for the song before it could be fully rehearsed. Thankfully, it had come in yesterday, but that meant that they had to begin working on it immediately. 

“I think I might need another cup of coffee,” he groaned, rubbing his still-tired eyes.

“I’ll have one for you when you get out,” she said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

With that, Poe trudged off, back down the hallway towards her bedroom. Upon entering and taking another look around, he noticed the antique Victrola sitting on a small table in the corner, a box of vinyls stored beneath it. Well, at least he knew something about her that he hadn’t already, and he figured he might buy her a record sometime as a thank you for putting up with his bullshit.

He turned on the shower to let it warm up before stripping down. His tight, aching muscles seemed to relax immediately against the hot water. Poe admitted that this was much nicer than having to bust his ass all the way across town during the morning rush to get home, take a 5 minute shower, and then bust it again to get to set on time. He knew from previous projects how much of a stickler Han was about people being late, especially when working with crew he’d outsourced. The reason he and Leia always brought on the best stunt and dance choreographers in the business was due to the reputation they’d built up of having actors who were  _ timely  _ and easy to work with, and they never let anyone forget about that. 

Halfway through conditioning his hair, Poe realized just how nice Rey’s shower products smelled. Most guys probably wouldn’t be too happy about walking around “smelling like a woman”-- or whatever he’d heard some of his old friends bitch about after spending the night with their girlfriends-- but he knew good and well that hers smelled far better than whatever he used these days. The clear bottles with very few markings or logos simply read, “Summer’s Day”, and he agreed. It smelled like melon, a sweet breeze,  _ sunshine _ , the same vague scent he’d recognized when he woke up in her bed. He thought it was pretty fitting for her.

He washed himself off as quickly as he could while still being thorough. Poe knew good and well how easily the stench of alcohol could linger on his body, and he refused to subject Rey to any more of that than he already had. Once the shower turned off, he could faintly hear singing in the bedroom, and he figured that Rey had put an older record on. It became much clearer after he stepped out to dry himself off that it wasn’t a record, rather, it was Rey. He certainly hadn’t known she could sing, and was once again perplexed by how someone so talented in two entertainment fields was completely undiscovered until six months ago. 

Poe felt slightly creepy doing it, but he was far too curious to resist pressing his ear to the gap between the door and the frame in order to hear her better. The words she sang became clear in his head.

“ _ Take this sinking boat and point it home… We’ve still got time… Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice… You make it now… _ ”

He vaguely recognized the song, remembering that it had won an Academy years ago, but unable to recall the name. Poe hated to interrupt her, but it was starting to get late, so he made sure his towel was secured around his waist before he opened the door.

The singing stopped as Rey turned around suddenly, and he could’ve sworn he heard her breath catch for just a moment before she regained her composure. She approached him with folded clothing in her hands.

“I grabbed a pair of Finn’s joggers but he hasn’t done laundry yet, so the t-shirt’s one of mine,” she explained with a polite smile. “It’s far too big for me, so it should fit.”

“Thanks,” he replied, quickly grabbing his phone off the counter to order himself an Uber. “I’ll get changed and then be out of your hair.”

Rey protested once again, “Seriously, you don’t have to go running off as quickly as you can. You can ride with Finn and I.”

“Rey,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. “You know people might get the wrong idea…” Poe muttered.

She blatantly rolled her eyes and stepped closer to him, “I hadn’t realized you took me as the type to care what people think. I certainly hadn’t thought of you as such,” she told him, pushing the clothes against his bare chest with one hand. He must’ve looked as stunned as he felt, since she smirked at him before turning and walking towards the door, “Your coffee’s ready whenever you are.”

  


* * *

  


Poe’s limbs buzzed with newfound lucidity as he and Rey stretched in the dance studio. He’d finally woken up after being awake for two hours, largely thanks to the coffee he’d drank. Part of him wondered if Rey had put something else into it, he wasn’t sure what, but it had done more to wake him up than any other cup he’d had. It also could’ve just been  _ her _ , he figured. The way her Spandex shorts and tight tank top clung to every part of her frame had definitely given him a wake up call. Not to mention the way her blinding smile lit up the room every time she laughed at his groans of pain.

His train of thought was unfortunately cut short by the studio’s metal door swinging open. Poe looked up to see Han and Leia enter, followed by Kaydel Connix, one of Hollywood’s top choreographers. Thankfully, she was also one of the friendlier ones.

“Good, you guys are already stretched out,” Leia commented with a pleased smile as he and Rey stood up straight.

“I got the song,” Han declared, holding up a CD case with a silver disc inside. He walked to the large stereo in the corner, grumbling about “that damn licensing” as Leia motioned for the two actors to follow. 

“This one’s just the section you’ll be dancing to,” Connix explained as they all gathered around. 

Han pressed play and the song immediately began blasting over the speakers. A boisterous male voice backed by the typical big band of the time began to sing, and it took Poe about ten seconds to realize that he was singing “Moondance”. 

He looked at Han with a puzzled expression, but was immediately silenced by him holding up a finger in warning. “I know it didn’t come out until 1970, and I do not care,” he nearly shouted over the music in exasperation.

Poe didn’t dare question him further. He really liked the rendition of the song, so he certainly wasn’t complaining. The song only lasted a little under a minute, which made sense since their dance was only about the same length.

“What do you guys think?” Leia asked with a smile.

“I thought it was great,” he declared. “Rey?” he asked, turning slightly around to his left to face her. He was surprised, however, when he saw her glossy eyes staring down at the floor.

“Excuse me for a moment, I need some fresh air,” she muttered softly, the sound coming from the back of her throat. With that, she turned on her heel and quickly headed outside, disappearing with the clink of the metal door behind her. Poe looked back at the group and was met with varying expressions. He saw sympathy on Connix’s face, rather than annoyance, Leia had a look of solemn understanding, while Han was just perplexed.

“Let me go talk to her,” he told them, not even waiting for permission before following her. He wasn’t sure what good his words would do, but he at least wanted to know what was going on.

When he stepped out the door, Rey was nowhere to be seen. Poe headed around the corner next, and to his relief, saw her standing there.

“Hey, look, I know they killed Van Morrison but,” he joked light-heartedly, trying to lighten the mood the only way he knew how.

She didn’t need words to stop him dead in his tracks, the tears in her eyes did that the second she turned around to face him.

“Woah, Sunshine, what’s going on?” he asked, mentally kicking himself again for  _ using the fucking nickname. _ Without thinking, once again, he placed his hand firmly on her shoulder. She looked at him for a few moments with an unreadable expression, and he was about to pull away when she brought her own hand up to cover his.

Rey sighed and drew in a deep breath before speaking, “That song…” she trailed off for a moment, taking another shaky breath as a tear managed to escape. “My dad raised me on Van Morrison, because my grandpa did the same for him. But that song…” she continued. “He would put that song on and I would stand on the top of his feet, and he would dance us around the kitchen while my mum cooked dinner. My grandpa did the same thing once I came to live with him.”

_ Oh _ .

Poe’s stomach dropped at the realization. Rey had lived with her grandfather for a reason, and he figured that it probably had something to do with why he hadn’t seen a single photo of her parents anywhere in her apartment. The knowledge that something horrible had happened to her hit him like a ton of bricks, and he wanted nothing more than to make that pain go away. To pull her close to him and tell her he understood, to comfort her and tell her that all pain fades with time. But he quickly realized that firstly, they didn’t know one another that well yet, and secondly, those words meant nothing, at least coming from him. He was a 30 year-old alcoholic with zero healthy coping mechanisms and nothing but dumb luck that had gotten him this far. He’d think he was bullshit too. 

“Obi probably let me stand on his feet for far too long,” she hiccuped, followed by a small chuckle as she wiped furiously at her tears with her free hand. “Even after that, he’d still dance with me.”

“Well, hey,” he sighed, giving her shoulder a light squeeze to call her eyes to his own. “Think of it like you’re honoring them. I’m sure they’d both be proud as hell to see you go from the little girl standing on the tops of their feet, to the kickass young woman swing dancing better than most people in the forties.”

A shy smile had spread across her face, and she looked away, “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“Rey,” he said sternly, both hands now on her shoulders.  _ It might be bullshit but,  _ he thought, “I’m not gonna bullshit you. You do an amazing job, so just try not to make me look like a chump in there, alright?”

She laughed, a melodious sound in his ears, “Okay.”

“Now come on, let’s go dance like it’s nobody’s business.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised updates on Fridays, and I seriously would have gotten this done by then if I hadn't come across 96 years of family photos and items on Thursday. Anyways, here it is! I hope you enjoyed, and I promise, we will get see the filming of the swing dance scene.  
> All the comments on the last chapter meant more to me than you'll ever know, so keep em' coming! I'll be back with another update within the week (hopefully)!
> 
> \- All my love!

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope everybody enjoyed this chapter! I'm getting serious about this fic and plan on giving everything I have to finish it. As of now, I'm setting Fridays as my upload days (but don't hold me to it). I'd love to hear what you thought in the comments, with the lack of hits nowadays, they really help keep me motivated. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> \- all my love, Amanda
> 
> P.S. If you'd like to see some of the manips I did for this fic, they'll be up on my Tumblr: designatedtrash!


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